Update 12:08 p.m.:
Normal train service had resumed at the Rosslyn Station as of 11:42 a.m. on Thursday, according to WMATA.
Original:
A day after the Red Line had its worst morning commute in a year and a half, three other lines experienced major delays during Thursday morning’s rush hour commute.
A signal problem at Metro’s Rosslyn Station wrought havoc on the Orange, Blue, and Silver lines starting around 8 a.m..
Delays on the affected Metro lines were more than 300 percent worse than average on Thursday morning, according to MetroHero, which tracks WMATA’s performance in real-time. Some trains accrued more than 40 minutes of delays, according to local blog Metro Reasons.
Several Metro riders reported being late to work due to crowded platform conditions, idling between stations, and even some trains running in reverse to ease crowding at Rosslyn.
My @wmata commute this morning.
1. Took shuttle to Pentagon.
2. Signal problems at pentagon means blue line to Rosslyn not working.
3. Told to take yellow to lenfant so I do.
4. Train on track means we sit in tunnel.
5. Then at Lendant the station is packed Lenfant packed.— Andy Medici (@AndyMedici) August 1, 2019
And at least one frustrated customer decided to avoid the delays by walking to D.C. from Virginia via the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
This marks the first time I’m walking from Virginia to DC as part of my commute as the @wmata infrastructure continues to deteriorate below the standards of the third world. pic.twitter.com/6tWkhfzlyO
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) August 1, 2019
Around 9 a.m., Metro said it was requesting shuttle bus service between the Rosslyn and Pentagon stations on the Blue Line to make up for the service issue. Metro also reported that some Blue Line trains were running on the Yellow Line tracks between National Airport and Mount Vernon Square.
Metro spokesperson Ian Jannetta confirmed that the morning delays were due to a signal problem near Rosslyn, but did not elaborate on the cause of the issue. Riders with registered SmarTrip cards who were delayed 10 minutes or longer will receive a ride credit within the next few days, Jannetta said. Customers who haven’t signed up for Metro’s Rush Hour Promise program can still get the refund if they register before the end of today.
Thursday morning’s commuting conundrum comes just one day after riders on Metro’s Red Line experienced their worst morning rush in a year and a half due to a track problem at the Fort Totten station.
Thousands of commuters from Northern Virginia were also experiencing transit delays on the OmniRide bus system due to a work stoppage of bus drivers who were out picketing on Thursday morning.
Metro’s delays may have slowed down some riders on their way to the 35th anniversary celebration of Rosslyn’s Dark Star Park. The celebrated sculpture was slated to align with the sun at exactly 9:32 a.m., right in the midst of the Metro slowdown. At least one local art critic confirmed that he missed his chance to see the once-a-year show.
This story has been updated with information about normal train service resuming at the Rosslyn Metro Station, and with a comment from a Metro spokesperson.
